Rangel Mum on Upcoming Ethics Trial

New York Rep. Charlie Rangel happily addressed his supporters in Harlem late Tuesday night after a successful reelection campaign. But he would not address his upcoming ethics trial in the House.

Asked about the upcoming trial, Rangel’s upbeat attitude — which had been present throughout the night even as he discussed his party’s staggering losses — briefly vanished. “I’m certainly glad that you brought that up, because quite frankly I wasn’t thinking about that tonight,” he said, then turning away from the television reporter to take another question.

The issue has dogged the 80-year-old lawmaker, who’s spent half his life in elected office. He surrendered his powerful chairmanship of the House’s Ways and Means committee in March amid the ethics allegations, which raise questions about whether Rangel used congressional stationery to raise funds for a college center in his district to be named after him and failed to pay taxes on some income. He also stands accused of failing to report assets and of using a rent-stabilized apartment in Harlem as a campaign office.

Rangel has admitted to making mistakes but insists he didn’t intentionally mislead anyone.

Rangel’s public trials are set to kick off Nov. 15, but could be pushed back because he and his team of defense lawyers split late last month. Rangel had paid the Washington law firm Zuckerman Spaeder more than $1 million from his campaign account, according to Federal Election Commission records.